Volume 8 Issue 1 - September 2002

Grigorian produces an

Grigorian produces an incisively sculpted portrait of the pathologically obsessive Herman, mana~ ging to cre'ate sympathy even in his destructive madness. , Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal scored a great success D/S CO VE RIES the singers' parts. An accordion : renowned as a soloist in orchestral of the Senator should not be missed. added by Thibaudeau provides a .and chamber music and has The next five confirm the wistful commentary on this tale of contributed mightily to· the case. Guitarist Tim Postgate is a greed, obsession and betrayal. development of new works for her key player among 30-somethingjazz Pamela Margles instrument. musicians who hold out a bright . Loman"s teacher Carlos Salzedo future for jazz in Toronto. This is Concert Note: The Canadian Opera was responsible for greatly the .take-off stage for · many with its ballet version of Tchai- ''Company is performing Tchaikov- extt:nding the range of tonal effects musicians: conservatory or univerkovsky 's. opera, and now has sky ':s opera The Queen of Spades for the harp. Salzedo's mellifluous sity training is followed by a decade produced an enjoyable recording of ' (Pique Dame) at the Hummingbird Variations sur un them{! dans le style of professional experience and selfthe music prepared for that centre from September 26 to ancien artd three smaller, more definition. Postgate. and frequent productio~ l:>y Canadian composer October 11. Valery Gergiev is. challenging pieces quite rightfully collaborator, bassist Rob Clutton: Gabriel Thibaudeau. conducting the Kirov Orchestra at take pride of place in this collection. are impressive'!y mu.ltivalent Tchaikovsky' has composed Roy Thomson Hall on Monday, In spite of the stereotypes, it is musicians: Besides catching' them wonderful ballet music himself, of March 24 at 8:00. not necessary to employ even a in a spectrum of jazz styles ranging course, so it is hardly surprising that single·glissando to write 'idiomati- from bebop to the outer edges, you his opera works so w,ell as a ballet cally for the harp. paul Hindemith's might also hear them having fun in score. Thibaudeau has condensed · elegant Sonata, a product of this a bluegrass or dance band, or join the almost three hours ofopera into increasingly neglected composer's !hem when they listen to Ligeti. less than eighty minutes. He retains maturity,. is a splendid example of What they like to do best, one senses Tchaikovsky's· structure, building this.Canadian patriarch John Wein- from this CD, are jazz experiments .the ballet around seven scenes. But 'zweig went so far as to arrange that move the 'music to the next he reclaims elements of Pushkin's some formal lessons. with Ms stage, a route that differs from both original story, focusing on Loman before composing a .the bop and freejaiz traditions. Herman's sinister obsession with concerto for her in 1967. His Ja:tzstory's music· progresses the Countess's secret rather than his continuing interest in the instrument mostly at a moderate tempo and love for Lisa. · is represented here by 4 alternately sound level, but it swings: these are Without singers to deliver the reflective and spirited selections jazz . musicians, not Euroimprovocal lines, Tchaikovsky's brilliant Judy Loman from his outstanding suite of 15 visors. Jean Martin's continuously orchestrations emerge vividiy. Favourites pieces from 1983. The Quick variegated drumming brings· him Thibaudeau has added effective Marquis Classics 7 747181289 28 March from this set, barely a into the front line rather than the connecting music, Cleverly , · minute long, is a particularly background. Lina Allemano's rearranging motifs from different Jn.honour of her retirement after 43 infectious model pf brevity as wit. trumpet has a soft but biting flugelscenes to form a dramatic scenario. years as the.principal harpist of the . R. Murray Schafer'. s sensational horn sound. In contrast to standard UndeF conductor Jacques Lacombe Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Crown of Ariadne exploits every patterns of theme/solo improvithe orchestra provides momentum Marquis Records has issued a possible innovation. of harp sations/restatement of theme, and tension, creating a dramatically substantial and fascinating album of technique and then some. Schafer Jazzstory progresses along a stream chargedatmosphereofforeboding. excerpts from the discography· of attaches bells to Miss Loman's of successively improvised or Thewindsandbrassareparticufarly oneofCanada'sleadingmusiclans. ankles and calls ·upon .her to composed sections. There· is an eloquent, especially.when handling Judy Loman is internationall,y simultaneously perform upon a economy ofnotes that distinguishes Graphic Design & Packaging · Full professionally designed packages , Multimedia Production Digital, Video/Editing & 24-bit · audio recording Website Developm·ent Interface design for your product 1-888-301-6489 for your ji·ee quote www.digiscapemedia.com , thicket of percussion instruments. in their music from bop' s rapid flurry .. this exceptionally coloµrfur work. The result is a delight. · Filling out the album are excerpts Phil Ehrensaft ·_ from compositions by Benjamin Britten (the Sonata op. 83) and Glenn Buhr (Tanzmusik). Daniel Foley Editor's note: Marquis · Classics plans to release another Loman disc later this year, with works composed for her by R. Murray ·Schafer, Kelly Marie Murphy, Srul Irving Glick, Raymond Luedeke and Glenn Buhr. Con,:ert Note: Judy Loman is soloist with the TSO in the world premiere of Brian .Cherney 's La Princesse lointaine at Roy Thompson Hall on Npvember 27, 28 and 30. ' Jazzstory Guildwood Records GR004 (www .guildwoodrecords.com) · The first track, of this fine CD is convincing evidence that Jazzstory' s upcoming performances at the Top Concert note: Tim Postgate 's Jazzstory quartet plays-on September 10~15 at the Top of the Senator, 253 Victoria St. NEW RELEASES Earth Chants: Music of Imant Raminsh Vancouver Chamber Choir; CBC Radio Orchestra; Jon Washburn CBC Records SMCD 5Z19 www.thewholenote.com September 1 - O ctober 7 2002

DISCOVERIES This Latvian-born British Columbia contrast in tonal colour, style and residentconveysadeepappreciation tempo, unexpected harmonic of nature and spirituality inspired, modulations, and dramatic shifts of no doubt, by the proliferation of mood: Th\s, of course, amounts to forestland around him. In these many surprising ear-opening days of environmental. concern, it moments on this recording. is timely to release this recording Nowhere is this more evident than of music that glorifies the beauty of in the opening harmonic turns in' the our earth.' And what better way to Largo of Alessandro's Sinfonia remind us that some of the deepest avanti la Serenata 'Clori, Dorino e spiritual experiences strike when Amore, ' followed by the non-stopnature is viewed in all its glory than flight Presto, the delicate pluckedto combine earth texts and sacred string Minuet, andfinally the simple music on the same disc. · moody afterthought Grave. Sacred pieces included are the Domenico follows with even more Missa Brevis in C minor,' with a strikingly contrasted movements, Gloria that is particularly moving also supported by the clarity of this turning to jubilation at the end of the ensemble's playing, of his Sinfonia movement, Ubi Caritas, the Latin in C major and Sinfonia a 3 in G hymn to charity and love in a major. gorgeous and sensitive a cappella Alessandro's Sei Concerti in sette · setting, and the peaceful Alleluia; parti composed around the same Amen. ' time as Handel's "Twelve Grand The texts on nature are English Concertos in seven parts (opus 6)," translations from native s0urces for has a remarkable stylistic resem­ Earth Chants and from the diaries blance, particularly in the fugal of Emily Carr for What Voices in passages of several Allegro an Unknown. Tongue. The music for movements, and especially. in the both conveys the stark, dramatic Concerto grosso No.4 in G minor. beauty of landscapes, often employ- • The bold, energetic performances ing intervals of seconds to create of Europa Galante under the ringing tones that add a mystical direction of Fabio Biondi are element. For the Emily Carr texts, beautifully captured on this CD. solo viola is employed evoking the · · Frank f. Nakashima painter's awareness in solitude. "Touching the·Earth lightly" and providing gorgeous realizations of this music are The Vancouver Chamber Choir and CBC Radio Orchestra conducted by Jon Washburn. Dianne Wells A & D Scarlatti: Concerti & Sinfonie ·. Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi Virgin Veritas 7243 5 45495 2 6 Having studied with Carissimi in Rome, Ales~andro Scarlatti (1660- 1725) had a flair for musical drama. Both he and his son, Domenico (1'685-1757), were prolific composers. In their writing for chamber strings, the Scarlatti family's musical traits include strong September 1 - October 7 2002 In Tavolattira Rachelle Taylor,'Harpsichord ATMA ACD2 2267 This album of period arrangements of 16m and 17m century popular songs and dances for solo harpsichord ("intabulations" or, in Italian, "in tavolatura"') is a delight. Some of the composers are familiar to us from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. Others are less well known, but were quite famous in their day and deserve our attention now. I love this period of composition, before anyone had set down "The Rules" (see Rameau, Traite de l 'liarmonie, 1722, for that). The music is modal, polyphonic, and harmonically adventurous, the dances are wild and percussive and those tunes still tug at our heartstrings. www.thewholenote.com 49·